Alone in Istanbul. Tulips 2014
An old dream to visit Istanbul came true in April 2014. The impetus was the ongoing tulip festivals. Visas are not needed. Tickets were bought for 1500 UAH round trip per person for Turkish Airlines-Turkish Airlines from the then beautiful and intact Donetsk Airport (Ukraine). Turkish lines really liked. Let them not throw stones at me, this is of course not the main thing to eat on the plane, but this is already a level when French wines were served to choose from white and red in small bottles. Well, the alcohol was stronger. which I have not seen in charters in recent years. Well, of course, the food of the Turks was different for the better. . And back the plane was generally half empty. the place was full. two hours and we are in the huge airport of Istanbul (Ataturk). accommodation-Booked at home more places in the apartments through booking in the historical part near the Beyazit station. http://youtu. be/uU_upmlEKPc We decided not to wander and not waste time getting there to choose accommodation within the reach of the T10 tram line. We chose the apartments because we wanted our own kitchen to cook the fish we want at the fish market http://youtu. be/Sidq0wBGD24 who was nearby. So 4 days left. The program is very dense. As a result, we visited: 1. Well, of course, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. By the way, on a weekday and in the evening there were no queues at the box office of Hagia Sophia at all http://youtu. be/6R_TbFwQvZ8 http://youtu. be/xpBQP9wdwU4. Tram t10 by the way passes by Sofia. In general, these two attractions are opposite each other across the square. Near the entrance to the mosque there is an electronic scoreboard with the time of the services. That is, visits are open in between. You will be asked to remove your shoes and leave bags at the entrance. 2. The Basilica Cistern is an impressive building and impressive sized fish living there http://youtu. be/i_XarGgaZzc walk close to the above sights. Everything is located on the same branch of the T 10 tram. 3. Miniaturk I really liked this park http://youtu. be/f9ee4SbNtpk in the video there is how to get to it. Eminö nü is the T10 station. 4. Gulhane Park http://youtu. be/YpZdNlzKBW4 with already fading tulips, so you need to go in mid-April. Also on the T 10 branch 5. well, of course, a walk along the Bosphorus http://youtu. be/ff1E_QbgRvM boats are invited to the eminenu station on the embankment 6. walked along the Galata bridge, admired the fishermen, climbed the tunnel to the Galata tower http://youtu. be/ZItG8-iXC3g http://youtu. be/PLgynwFqTmY 7. http://youtu. be/GqVMtPD-GFQ went by ferry for 1.5 hours to the resort town of Yalova and then by minibus to the thermal pools. Very beautiful nature there. The water is very hot in the pool. By the way, buy tickets for the return journey immediately. Don't repeat our mistake. we had to miss 4 flights to leave. Day off-Sunday, shops, markets are closed and the Turks are resting, so a large crowd of people. 8. ate the famous balyk ekmek http://youtu. be/2LhqnlraXvALactually, there is a lot of all sorts of food on the streets. What's funny is that everything is 5 lire (it was then). I really liked the juice you squeezed out of the fruits you want http://youtu. be/UnyDbYya8Ks 9. We visited Merter, which is about 10 minutes from Zeytinburnu station. This is a wholesale center but there is a retail street. The prices were a pleasant surprise. As for the apartments, everything was perfect and two large rooms and everything you need in them. But the walls are thin and on the street there is a chain of restaurants and music in the best national traditions until three in the morning every day. http://youtu. be/H5_ib0rQjuo In vain we did not attach importance to this in the reviews. I want to note that we were pleased that we had our own kitchen. We ate all sorts of fish and shrimp that we bought while still alive. In addition, we bought all kinds of food in the Migros chain of stores with fixed prices. I really liked something like dumplings, but you cook such tiny ears with lamb, they don’t boil soft, the milk is tasty, the ice cream is super. The sausage didn't impress. As you know, the Turks are very fond of cats. Here are small sketches on this topic http://youtu. be/2xmRv8j7xiI http://youtu. be/EV_E9J3bQjU really liked the Istanbul tram - beautiful comfortable, the sound is so special - Istanbul. It is difficult to pass the desired station in it, as there is a luminous path and the names are announced loudly. The entrance to the trams is fenced with turnstiles. Immediately at the airport there is an entrance to the metro and near it you buy istanbul cards in the machine at the entrance to the metro. Next to another machine you replenish. Employees, if they notice confusion, help. Refill machines are available at tram stations. And you can use this Istanbul card on the tram, on the metro and on the bus. On the bus at the entrance there is a device to which you apply this card. The card can be one for two or three. The main thing is the sum. From the airport, you take the metro to the station, it seems to Zeytinburn where you change to the T 10 tram. I read a lot that Turks are clinging to Slavic women in trams. Indeed, many men travel on trams and the trams are overcrowded, and I came across what they write, but reacted to it with humor. I liked the city. Difficulties in independent movement were not found. 4 days is not enough. I will also come because I still want to visit the tulip festival in Emirgan Park, Kumkapi, visit the fortress of Rumeli Hisary, the Princes' Islands, and even in the city itself, a lot of things remain unknown. If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer.
